Grapple fork lock and head



Nov. 8, 1938. w. HA ZEHNER GRAP.PLE,FORK LCK AND HEAD Filed oct. 22, 195e 5 Sheets-Sheet 1l y Jme/Mw WILLIAM H. ZEHNFR,

Nov. 8, 1938. w, ZEHNEIR r 2,135,930".

` y GRAPPLE FORK LOCK AND HEAD 5 sheets-sneer, 2

Filed Cot. 22, 1936 Nov'. 8, 1938. w. H. zEHNER 2,135,930

GRAPrLE FORK Loox AND HEAD Filed oct. 22, 1956 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fae. l0.V

` Jwvowo'o WILLIAM H. ZEN/VER, ,nv

Patented Nov. 8, 1938 irs STATES GRAPPLE FORK LOCK AND HEAD William H. Zehner, Ashland, Ohio, assignor to The F. E. Myers & Bro. Co., Ashland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application October 22, 1936, Serial No. 106,947 13 claims. (o1. 294-109) This invention relates to grapple forks, and particularly automatic grapple forks.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a grapple fork a lock and head construction wherein the opening and closing of the fork may be controlled from a remote station by means of a trip rope.

It is a further object of this invention to provide in such a grapple fork a lock construction provided with lock levers having cam` surfaces adapted, when the lock is drawn upwardly toward the head by means of a trip chain, to engage complementary surfaces on the head construction to securely lock the lock member to the head member, whereby to permit of the closing of the fork by gravity.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a head construction adapted to be supported as desired and a lock construction adapted to support the tines of the fork, the tines being connected by flexible members to arms on the head construction and the lock being adapted to be released from and engaged with the head construction by means of a trip chain extending through the head construction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a lock construction wherein pivotal support is provided for the tines of the fork and wherein a pair of pivotally supported lock levers are adapted to cooperate with a slidable cam bar, said cam bar being resiliently urged toward a position for engagement with said lock levers to urge the lock levers outwardly.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a construction wherein complementary cam surfaces are provided on the lock levers and the cam bar.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a construction wherein the cam bar is connected to a trip chain by means of which the cam bar may be withdrawn from engagement with lock levers by tension on the trip chain,

It is a further object of this invention to provide in such a construction cam surfaces on the lock levers adapted tok engage cam surfaces on the head construction to swing the lock levers inwardly sufficiently to permit interpenetration of the lock and head.

It is a further object of this invention to provide further surfaces on the lock levers adapted, when the tension on the trip chain is released subsequent to interpenetration of the lock and head members, to cooperate with surfaces of the head member to support the lock therein.

These and other objects and advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings.

In. the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the grapple fork in closed position;

Figure 2 is a similar View of the grapple fork in opened position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the head member of my construction;

Figure 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4, showing the preliminary engagement of the lock member with the head member;

Figure 6 isa view similar tovFigure 5, but showing the lock. lever means of the lock member in attracted position;

Figuret'l is a second view, similar to Figure 5, but showing the lock member locked to the head member;

Figurey 8 is a section taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a side elevational View of the lock member ;Y

.Figure 10 yis a similar view, in section, taken along the line Ill-ID of Figure 8;

. Figure 11 is a section taken on the line II-II of Figure 6;

Figure 12 is a section taken on the line |2-l2 of Figure 5;

Figure 13 is a View in perspective of one of the lock levers; and

Figure 14 is a view in perspective of the cam bar. Y v

Referring to the drawings in detail, as seen particularly in Figures 1 and 2, the head member, generally designated l, is adapted to be supported by attachment to the fork pulley of a hay carrier or by means of a rope, cable, chain or the like 2 which is secured to the loop portion. The head member l is provided with outwardly eX- tending arms, to which are attached tine support chains 3, each of which has the other end thereof attached to a tine support arm 4 which is suitably connected to a tine construction including a plurality of tines 5, which is pivotally supported by the lock member 6.

The lock member 6 is provided with a pair of lock leverswhich are constantly urged outwardly by a cambar which is supported within the lock member and resiliently urged in a position to press the lock levers outwardly. The cam bar 26 has a loose connection with the body of the lock member. A trip chain 'I extends from the cam bar upwardly through the head member I. The trip chain is provided with an enlarged ring at one end to which a suitable trip rope may be attached for remote control of the lock member.

In Figure l the grapple fork is shown in closed position, and in that position the tension being removed from the trip chain 1, the lock member 6 is secured in a manner hereinafter more clearly described by engagement of the lock levers thereof with a suitable flange in the head member I.

The opposed complementary tine constructions are pivotally supported by the lock member 6 and, suficient slack being provided in the tine support chains 3, the complementarytine constructions are urged together by gravity and the weight of the load when the hay grasped by the grapple fork is lifted by means of a rope or cable 2.

After the loaded grapple fork has been lmoved to the desired position above the mow or other place where it is desired to deposit the load from the loaded grapple fork, tension is placed on the trip chain 1, whereby to cause the lock member 6 to be released from the head member I whereby the parts take the position illustrated in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 2, when tension is released from the trip chainV 1, the head I, by means of the arms thereon which are connected by means of tinev support chains to the tine support arms 4, supports the weight of the lock and complementary tine constructions-the location of the tine support arms 4 and the length of tine support chains 3, as well as the proportions of the remaining structure being carefully chosen for correct balance.

After the hay has been deposited, as described above, in the desired location, tension is placed upon the trip chain 1 and the partsf locked, as indicated in Figure 1. The partsl remain in this position, while the grapple fork is returned to the hay supply. This locking of the fork prevents injury to workmen by contact with the sharp points of the tines 5. When the grapple fork, locked as shown in Figure 1, reaches the hay supply, the operator grasps each side of the fork simultaneously and sinks the tines into the hay.

The details of the above generally described head member I and lock member 6 are as follows: the head member I (Figures 3 to 8 inclusive) comprises a unitary casting provided with a loop member II at the top thereof, providing means for attachment of the fork pulley of a hay carrier or of a supporting rope, cable or the like to the head member and therebelow is formed an annular portion I2 having the sides thereof cut away and terminating at the bottom in an annular flange I3 having a substantially horizontal upper surface I4 and a substantially inclined lower surface I5. Extending outwardly of the annular portion and formed integrally therewith are oppositely disposed arms I6 which are provided at their ends with suitable bores I1 by means of which the above referred totine support chains 3 are attached to the head member, generally designated I. A trip chain guideway I8 is formed in the head member I and extends from centrally above the flange I3 to one side of the head member just below the loop II.

The lock member 6 comprises a casing formed of a pair of complementary members I9 provided with inwardly extending substantially U-shaped flanges 20 and each having a pair of bosses 2I disposed at opposite sides of the upper portion thereof, the flanges and bosses being adapted to be engaged when the members I9 are secured together to form a casing. These members are provided with suitable apertures adapted to receive the upper or cam guide pin 22 and lower or lock lever pintle pin 23 by means of which the complementary members I9 are secured together to form a housing or casing.

Centrally disposed in each of the members I9 is a recess 24 which extends longitudinally or vertically and each of which is adapted to receive and house a compression spring 25, The cam guide pin 22 is adapted to extend through an elongated slot 21 in the cam bar 26. The cam bar has enlarged cam portions 28 disposed at opposite sides of the elongated slot 21 and spring steps 29 extending from opposite sides of the cam bar 26. Above the cam portion 28 of the cam bar 26 is a bifurcated apertured portion 30 which is adapted to receive a trip chain attaching pin 3I for the attachment of a trip chain 1 thereto. The lower portions 28a of the cam surfaces 28 are inclined inwardly for a purpose which will hereinafter more clearly appear.

With reference particularly to Figures 6, 9, 10 and 14, it will be seen 'that the cam bar 26 is slidably supported by means of engagement of the elongated slot 21 with the cam guide pin 22 and by the disposition of the spring steps 29 in the respective recesses 24. The springs 25 are supported in the recesses 24 with one end thereof in engagement with a top wall of the recess and the other end thereof resting upon a spring step 29 of thecam bar 26. By means of this arrangement, the cam bar 26 is constantly resiliently urged downwardly by means of the springs 25 in the recesses 24. The'springs 25 need. possess only sufficient strength to return the cam bar 26 to position between the two lock levers 32; and, therefore, it is merely necessary that their strength be sufiicient to overcome the friction between the cam bar 26 and the two lock levers 32.

Pivotally supported on the lock lever pintle pin 23 by means of apertures 33 is a pair of similar oppositely disposed lock levers 32 which have the body portion thereof offset from the aperture 33 thereof, and each of which has, formed at the upper end thereof, a projection 34 which is provided with an inwardly and upwardly disposed cam surface 35 adapted for engagement with the portion 28a of the cam portion 29 of the cam bar 26, as shown in Figure 6, and an arcuate cam surface 36 extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom, which is adapted to engage the surface I5 of theflange I3, as shown in Figure 5. The projection 34 terminates in a substantially flat locking surface 31 which is adapted to engage the surface I4 of the flange I3, as shown in Figure '1. The inner longitudinal surfaces of the lock levers 32 are adapted to be engaged by opposite cam surfaces 28, as shown in Figure 5.

Outward swinging movement of the lock levers 32, under the influence of the cam bar 26, is llmited by the flanges 20 on the members I9. Each of the members I9 is provided below the flange 20 thereon with a circular aperture 39 which is adapted to support a pintle pin 40. Slightly above and spaced at opposite sides of each aperture 39 is an aperture 4I. The apertures 4I are adapted to receive pins 42 similar to the pin 22 for securing the lower portions of the members I9 in rigid spaced relation. The tines 5 are sultably apertured for pivotal support on the pintle pin 40. The tines may be secured to the pintle pin 40, either inside of or outside of the lower portions of the members I9. The tines 5 have been illustrated as supported between the lower end portions of the members I9 in Figures 1, 2 and 3 for the sake of clearness of`illustration.

Operation The cooperation of the head member I and lock member 6 with the other parts of the grapple fork has been described above. The cooperation of the lock member 6 with the head member I is as follows: when the parts are in the position illustrated in Figure 2 and the trip chain Iis released from tension, the parts of the lock member 6 will be in the position shown in Figure 5. In this position of parts, the force of the springs 25, which act upon the spring steps 23 of the cam bar 26, retains the fiat cam surfaces 28 in engagement with the inner at surfaces of the lock levers 32. This prevents inward movement of the cam levers 32. If tension is placed upon the trip chain 'I, the lock member 6 may be brought upwardly into the position illustrated in Figure 5, wherein the surfaces 36 engage the surface I5 of the ange I3 of the head member I. The above described position of the cam bar 26 prevents inward swinging movement of the lock levers 32 until the cam surfaces of the cam bar 26 are removed from between the lock levers 32, as shown in Figure 6.

When the at cam surfaces of the cam bar 26 are removed from between the lock levers 32, the engagement of the arcuate cam surfaces 35 with the surfaces I5 draws these lock levers 32 inwardly until they reach the position shown in Figure 6. This is all accomplished by the application of tension to the trip chain I and the progressive upward movement of the lock member 6 and the progressive inward swinging movement of the lock levers 32, due to the engagement of surfaces 36 with surfaces I5 and cam surfaces 23a with cam surfaces 35 occurring substantially simultaneously.- After the parts have reached the position illustrated in Figure 6, a slight further upward movement of the lock member 6 places the locking surfaces 3l of the lock levers 32 above the surfaces I4 of the iiange If the tension on the trip chain 'I is now released, the springs 25 will urge the cam bar 26 downwardly whereby the engagement of the surfaces 28a of the cam bar 26 with the cam surfaces of the lock levers 32 will cause the lock levers to move outwardly until they take the position illustrated in Figure '7, wherein it will be seen that the hat cam surfaces 28 of the cam bar 26 again engage the inner flat surfaces of the lock levers 32 whereby to securely lock the lock member 6 to the head member I.

In order to unlock the lock member 6 from the head member I, tension is again placed upon the trip chain 'I whereby to draw the cam bar 26 upwardly against the pressure of springs 25 t0 permit the lock levers 32 to swing inwardly to the position illustrated in Figure 6, whereupon, upon release of the tension upon the trip chain 'I, the projections 36 of the lock levers 32 will pass downwardly through the central aperture surrounded by the fiange I3, whereby to unlock the lock member 6 from the head member I.

The fork is so balanced that it can4 be returned from the position shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure l by exerting only a slight pull on the trip chain I and after the lock and the center of the fork passes above the center of gravity, when the trip chain is pulled to close the fork, the lock will be supported and urged upwardly toward the head member by the counterbalancing effect of the weight of the tines 5.Y The tension of the springs 25 preferably being such that they will barely support the weight of the lock assembly, a slight pull of the trip chain I acting upon the cam bar 26 moves the cam bar 26 upwardly so that the lock levers. 32 move inwardly toward each other by reason of the bevel surfaces 28a on the cam bar 26 and the bevel or Cam surfaces 35 on the lock levers 32. When the fork is loaded and the parts are in the position shown in Figure 7, the slight taper of the upper surface I4 of the flange I3 on head member I and the slight taper of the cooperating surfaces 31 of the lock leversA 32 results in the lock levers 32 being urged toward each other by weight of the fork and load upon release of the cam bar so as to allow the projections 34 of the lock levers 32 to pass downwardly through the central opening in the annular ange I3 of the head member I in order that the tines may be opened to dump the load.

It will be understood that the above described structure is merely illustrative of one manner in which the principles of my invention may be utilized and that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a grapple fork provided with a plurality of tines, a head member comprising lateral eX- tensions, and connections between the extensions and the tines, a locking member having locking devices to interconnect and disconnect the head member and the locking member, said plurality of tines being pivotally supported on said locking member, and tension means connected to said locking member for closing said tines.

2. In a grapple fork provided with a plurality of tines, a head member comprising lateral extensions, and connections between the extensions and the tines, a locking member having locking devices to interconnect and disconnect the head member and the locking member, said plurality of tines being pivotally supportedA on said locking member, and tension means connected to said locking member for closing and locking said tines.

3. In a grapple fork, a head member and a locking member adapted to be engaged to close said fork, .and spring actuated lever means for interconnecting said members, said locking member having locking means adapted, upon engagement of said members, to cooperate with means on said head vmember to interlock said members in engagement, and a cam means to control the locking movements of the locking means.

4. In a grapple fork, a head member and a locking member adapted to be engaged to close said fork, and tension means for engaging said members, said locking member having locking means adapted, upon engagement of said members, to cooperate with means on said head member to automatically lock said members in engagement, said locking means being responsive to said tension means for unlocking said locking member from said head member.

5. In a grapple fork, interpenetrating head and locking members adapted for engagement to close said fork, and means for engaging said members comprising a trip chain connected to said locking member and extending through said head member, said members having means adapted upon engagement automatically to lock said members together.

6. In a grapple fork, interpenetrating head and locking members adapted for engagement to close said fork, and means for engaging said members comprising a trip chain connected to said locking member and extending through said head member, said members having means adapted upon engagement automatically to lock said members together, said last-named means being responsive to tension on said trip chain to unlock said members.

7. In a grapple fork having a plurality of tines, a head member connected to said tines, a locking member adapted for engagement with said head member and having said tines pivotally supported thereon, and means ior simultaneously closing and locking said fork comprising a tension member connected to said locking member and extending through said head member.

8. In a grapple fork having a plurality of tines, a head member connected to said tines, a locking member adapted for engagement with said head and having said tines pivotally supported thereon, means for simultaneously closing and locking said fork including a tension member connected to said locking member and extending throughsaid head member, and normally operative locking means in said locking member adapted automatically to lock said head and locking members together upon engagement.

9. In a grapple fork having a plurality of tines, a head member connected to said tines, a locking member adapted for engagement with said head and having said tines pivotally supported there on, means for simultaneously closing and locking said fork including a tension member connected to said locking member and extending through said head member, and normally operative locking means in said locking member adapted automatically to lock said head and locking members together upon engagement, said locking means in said locking member being adapted to be made inoperative by said tension member to release said locking member from said head member.

v10. In a grapple fork having a head member provided with a flange, a locking member adapted to pivotally support fork tines, said locking member having a body supporting for limited sliding movement cam means normally biased in one direction, lock means adapted to be projected from said body by said cam means when biased, and tension means connected to said cam means adapted to support said body through said cam means and release said cam means from said lock means.

11. In a grapple fork having a head member provided with a flange, a locking member adapted to pivotally support fork tines, said locking member having a body supporting for limited sliding movement thereon cam means normally biased in one direction, lock means adapted to be projected from said body by engagement of said cam means when biased, and tension means connected to said cam means and adapted to support said body through said cam means and release said cams from said lock means, said lock means being adapted under the influence of said cam means to engage the ilange onsaid head member and being adapted upon release of said cam means therefrom to be disengaged from said ange.

12. In a grapple fork including a head member having thereon flange means, a locking member having a cam bar mounted for limited sliding movement therein, resilient means for normally biasing said cam bar in one direction, a pair of lock arms provided with outwardly directed end projections mounted for outward swinging movement under the influence of said cam bar when biased, and a trip chain connected to said cambar and extending through said head and adapted, when placed under tension, to release said cam bar from said lock arms and engage said locking member with said head member, and adapted when thereafter released to allow engagement of said cam bar with said lock arms for engagement thereof with the ange on said head member.

13. A grapple fork comprising a head member having supporting arms and ilange means, a locking member having a cam bar mounted for limited sliding movement'therein, resilient means for normally biasing said cam bar in one direction, a pair of lock arms mounted for outward swinging movement under the inuence of said cam bar when biased and provided with outwardly directed end projections, a pair of tine assemblies pivotally supported on said locking member, a chain connecting each of said tine assemblies with an arm of said head, and a trip chain connected to said cam bar and extending through said head adapted, when placed under tension, to release said cam bar from engagement with said lock arms while engaging said locking member with said head member and adapted when thereafter released to permit engagement of said cam bar with said lock arms whereby the projections on said lock arms will be engaged with the flange on said head member to lock said head member and said locking member together.

WILLIAM H. ZEHNER. 

